The top selling music artists in history are:
- The Beatles
- Michael Jackson
- Elvis Presley
- Elton John
- Queen
- Madonna
- Led Zeppelin
- Rihanna
- Pink Floyd
This week’s entrant is Queen, a legendary band that saw its fame get a boost with the 2018 biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Queen generates more weekly visitors to Spotify than any of the groups ahead of them on this list, edging out Elton John by a smidge (49.4 million vs. 48.2 million).
The band formed in 1970 and enjoyed huge popularity until the death of their lead singer, Freddie Mercury, in 1991.
When it comes to wedding songs, Queen presents interesting possibilities beginning with the amazing “Somebody to Love.”
Queen sings “Somebody to Love”
The band multi-tracked the vocals to sound like a one-hundred voice choir, invoking an Aretha Franklin gospel vibe. Freddie Mercury’s lyrics become a prayer, as he sings:
“I go down on my knees,
And I start to pray,
’Til the tears run down from my eyes,
Lord, somebody, somebody,
Can anybody find me somebody to love?”
On the other hand, you HAVE found somebody to love on your wedding day, so maybe this song isn’t quite a perfect fit for best Queen wedding song.
Same goes for the compelling “Love of My Life,” which is a torch song about lost love:
“Love of my life, you’ve hurt me,
You’ve broken my heart, and now you leave me.”
Queen sings “Love of My Life”
Great song. Not a fit for weddings.
Interestingly, Queen released fifteen songs with the word ‘love’ in the title. Most aren’t really wedding songs, but one that really is would be, “You’re My Best Friend,” by the band’s bassist, John Deacon. Take a listen.
For some high drama, you can’t beat the majestic, “I Was Born to Love You.”
But let’s get real, one Queen song stands out as a sure crowd-pleaser on your wedding day, and that would be their 1979 song, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” (top of page). Mercury wrote the song as a tribute to Elvis Presley, and it became the band’s first #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 list.
Queen packed their discography with inventive songs that withstand the test of time. Unlike many contemporary artists, there is nothing cookie-cutter about their songs. It’s no wonder 600 million people a year listen to them on Spotify!
By the same token, there’s nothing cookie-cutter about wedding entertainment by Columbus Pro DJs. We customize the music, lighting, and photo-booth to the unique taste of every Columbus couple we work with. Check us out today.
